Andy Irons, a Hawaiian, inspired a generation with his aggressive, stylish brand of surfing and his ability to handle even the toughest waves, writes RICHIE FITZGERALD
THIS WEEK THE surfing world mourned the untimely death of the three-time World Surfing Champion Andy Irons at the age of 32. He fell ill with suspected dengue fever at a pro surfing tournament in Puerto Rico last Saturday and then withdrew from the contest under the guidance of event doctors, who advised him to return to his native Hawaii to recuperate.
Irons was travelling home alone and stopped over in Dallas en route. His body was discovered in an airport hotel room by staff. The cause of his death will not be known for several weeks.
Along with the world titles, he will be most remembered as the only surfer to break the grip on world surfing of the nine-time world champion Kelly Slater. Irons established himself as Slater’s only true rival on the pro tour and the two clashed in some of the most memorable contest finals and title races ever witnessed in world surfing. Often they had heated exchanges in and out of the water that gave pro surfing a brilliant competitive powder keg environment. It split fans of the sport and hugely increased media interest in the World Championship Tour (WCT).
Irons inspired a whole generation with his aggressive but stylish brand of surfing and his trademark abilities in bigger surf. He was the dominant surfer of the mid-2000s, winning WCT titles in 2002, 2003 and 2004.
Irons grew up on the idyllic, surf-rich north shore of Kauai, one of the bigger islands in the Hawaiian archipelago. He and his younger brother Bruce were taught to surf at a young age by their father on the powerful waves of the south Pacific and both went professional.
Irons dominated the junior surfing scene in Hawaii before taking it to a national level on the mainland.
I was lucky enough to compete for Ireland as a junior against him while he was representing Hawaii at the World Surfing Championships in Brazil in 1994. The Irish and Hawaiian teams got on together. The brothers were quiet but friendly and mixed well with us.
I had heard his name in amateur surfing circles before that, but nothing prepared me for the level of surfing I saw him produce at that event. I surfed against him in my second heat of the contest but, not surprisingly, was soundly beaten. Irons graduated into the professional ranks of world surfing shortly after and developed into a fearsome professional competitor.
He returned to pro surfing this year after a year out and showed his intentions for 2010 with a win at the Billabong Pro in Tahiti last August. This makes his passing on Tuesday all the more tragic because surfing has lost one of its greatest competitors long before his time.
There has been a world wide outpouring of shock and sadness at the passing of one of surfing’s greatest personalities and professionals. He left behind a heartbroken family and friends, his pregnant wife Lyndie and a stunned surfing world.
May he rest in peace.
Big wave surfer Richie Fitzgerald runs Surfworld school and shop in Bundoran, Co Donegal, and is surfing editor of Outsider Magazine